A version of this letter has also been published in Spanish. If you would like to add your voice to it, please sign here.
The Shift the Power Movement, a global network of grassroots organizations, offers an unprecedented opportunity to efficiently and effectively work in solidarity with communities to address our greatest challenge, the climate crisis. As global leaders met at the COP in Dubai, over 700 change-makers who work in communities in over 80 countries met in Bogotá with a focus on harnessing and mobilizing resources so that all may thrive, even in the midst of the climate crisis.
Helene Desanlis of ClimateWorks echoes what many other researchers are saying: “There is a growing recognition that the voices and leadership of frontline communities must be at the center of climate action.” However, funding for these innovative home grown-solutions is almost non-existent. According to the International Institute for Environment and Development in 2020 only 10% of climate funding reaches local communities in the global south and 97% of international humanitarian aid is channeled through international intermediaries that dilute the funds. The most recent studies show no improvement.
Around the world, communities at the forefront of the climate response are investing their local knowledge, finances, energy, and leadership. They are creating solutions that are locally-led and owned, often at a lower cost-benefit ratio.
With access to greater funding, these organizations, individually and collectively, could accelerate and expand their climate activities and better sustain their organizations. This network has the potential to absorb, direct and deploy financial resources in ways that recognize and harness local assets, build local power and – of greatest importance – do no harm.
We invite you to partner with this ecosystem of locally-led organizations in order to accelerate and scale local climate action. Strengthening the collective voice of grassroots communities and movements in the global climate discourse will empower climate justice.
We envision trust-based relationships that are transparent and inclusive. These partnerships would encourage risk-taking, reciprocal learning and capacity building. Successful solutions would be shared, scaled and adapted as needed with measurable impacts and accountability for all.
We are already hard at work, and that work will continue. But we can do so much more, so much more effectively, if we tackle this together. Please engage with us.
A version of this letter has also been published in Spanish. If you would like to add your voice to it, please sign here.
Signatories:
Accountability Lab – Nepal
Africa’s Voices Foundation – Kenya
Agenda Joven Magdalena – Colombia
Aksyon sa Kahandaan sa Kalamidad at Klima AKKMA – Philippines
Alianza Fondos del Sur – Global
Alianza Territorial De Mujeres ALIATE – Colombia
Allies In Caring – United States
Anuradha Rajan – India
Asian Muslim Action Network – Indonesia
Asociación de Servicios Comunitarios de Salud ASECSA – Guatemala
Assifero – Italy
Associação Nossa Cidade- Brasil
Barbara Klugman Concepts – South Africa
Barranquilla+20 – Colombia
Better World Communications – India
Bole District Community Foundation – Ghana
Bucharest Community Foundation – România
Cada Socio-Environmental Fund – Brazil
Casa Fluminense – Brazil
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) – United States
Centro de Desarrollo Psicosocial – Taller de Vida – Colombia
Centro de Desarrollo Psicosocial – Taller de Vida – Colombia
CESE – Coordenadoria Ecumênica de Serviço – Brazil
Chicas BiLess – México
CISU – Civil Society in Development – Denmark
Civic House – Argentina, Colombia, Uruguay and México
CivSource Africa – Uganda
Colectivo Artístico La Unidad MPC – Colombia
Collective Change Lab – USA
Communities Organizing for Haitian Engagement and Development – Haiti
Community Foundation for the Western Region of Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe
Community Health Worker Initiatives, University of New Mexico – United States
Comuá Network / Rede Comuá – Brazil
Comunalia- Alianza de Fundaciones Comunitarias de México – México
Comunidad AC – México
Coop Dayton – USA
Coordenadoria Ecumênica de Serviço – Brazil
Corporación Cavendishia – Colombia
Corporación de Investigación y Acción Social y Económica – Colombia
Corporación para la Conservación y Uso Sostenible de la Biodiversidad – Colombia
Corporación PODION – CTGA ANDEAN REGION – Colombia
Corporación Social para el desarrollo Integral Raíces y Huellas – Colombia
Corporación TAMSA – Colombia
Cotyledon Fund – United States
Counterpart International – Ecuador
Cultivate – USA
Dagua, Valle del Cauca – Colombia
Dalit Community Foundation – India
Debdatta Purkayastha – India
Decoland – France
Decolonizing Wealth – USA
Development Expertise Center – Ethiopia
Divine Foundation for Disabled Persons – Nigeria
East Africa Philanthropy Network – East Africa
ECES – Egypt
ELLAS – Mujeres y Filantropía, América Latina y el Caribe – Latin America and the Caribbean
Emerger Fondo Socioambiental Colombia – Colombia
ENTREMUNDOS – Guatemala
Esperanza Peace and Justice Center – United States
Făgăraș Research Institute – Romania
Fair Funding Solutions – United Kingdom
Farmworkers Associcion of Florida Orange – USA
FASOL – México
Firelight Foundation – Tanzania
Fomento del Desarrollo Popular – Venezuela
Fondo Comunitario Monteverde – Costa Rica
Fondo Emerger – Colombia
Fondo Ñeque – Ecuador
Fondo Potosino A. C. – MEXICO
Fondo Socioambiental del Perú – Perú
Fondo Tierra Viva – Honduras
Foundation for Social Transformation – India
Fundacion ACDI/VOCA LA – Colombia
Fundación Comunitaria Oaxaca – México
Fundación Comunitaria Puebla – México
Fundacion Dar Amor – FUNDAMOR – Colombia
Fundación DARVIP, red Latiendo, juzta paz – Colombia
Fundación Halü Bienestar Humano – Colombia
Fundación Hijos de la Sierra Flor – Colombia
Fundación Ideas para la Paz – Colombia
Fundacion Punta de Mita – México
Fundación Red Comunidades Rurales – Argentina
Fundación Socioambiental Semilla – Bolivia
Fundación SOLE Colombia – Colombia
Fundación Territorial Barichara – Colombia
Fundación Territorial Barichara Regenerativa – México/Colombia
Fundación Territorial Florencia, Agua, Vida y Paz – Colombia
Fundación Territorial Paisano – Colombia
Fundación Váyalo – Venezuela
Fundo Agbara – Brazil
Fundo Casa Socioambiental • Casa Socio-Environmental Fund – Brazil
Gaia Tierras Vivas – Colombia
Global Alliance of Impact Networks – Costa Rica
Global Fund for Children – United States and United Kingdom
Global Fund for Community Foundations – United Kingdom
Global Greengrants Fund – Global
Global Public Investment Network – Global
GlobalGiving – United States
GoPhilanthropic Foundation – United States
Grassroots Action and Support Organisation (GASO), Golomoti, Dedza – Malawi
Grupo Semillas – Colombia
Hugh and Sandra Davidson Trust – United Kingdom
Humanising Development Collective – Global
Idealist.org – United States
IDEAS Comunitarias – México
Instituto ACP – Brazil
Instituto Comunitario Baixada Maranhense – Brazil
Instituto Sociedade, População e Natureza – ISPN – Brazil
Jade Propuestas Sociales y Alternativas al Desarrollo – México
Junta de Acción Comunal vereda Tiestos – Grupo Familias Ecológicas para el Buen Vivir – Colombia
Just Peoples – New Zealand
Juventud Unida en Acción – Venezuela
Kemonela’ Consejo de Tejedoras – Guatemala
La Galera Batucada – Colombia.
Lanzaa – Mexico
Líbano – Tolima – Colombia
Mariwala Health Initiative – India
Maskani Digital Peacebuilding – Kenya
Meghana Rawat – United States
Micaia Foundation – Mozambique
Monteverde Commission for Resiience to Climate Change (CORCLIMA) – Costa Rica
Monteverde Community Fund – Costa Rica
Moving Minds Alliance – United Kingdom
National Foundation for India – India
National Society for Earthquake Technology – Nepal
Neelan Tiruchelvam Trust – Sri Lanka
Nguvu Collective – India/Kenya/Nigeria/South Africa
Nguzo Africa Community Foundation – Kenya
Northern Rivers Community Foundation – Australia
NTFP EP Asia – Philippines
One World Together – United Kingdom
Partners of the Americas – Colombia
Peace Direct – United Kingdom
PUTUMAYO – Colombia
Red de Iniciativas Ciudadanas por la Paz y Contra la Guerra – Colombia
Rede Comuá – Brazil
Redepaz – Colombia
Redes da Maré – Brazil
Regenerosity – United States
Reimagine Peacebuilding – Colombia
Resolve Network – Global
Resources Oriented Development Initiatives – Kenya
Romanian Federation for Community Foundations – Romania
Root Change – United States
Sita Supomo – Indonesia
South West Community Foundation, United States
STAR-GHANA Foundation – Ghana
Taboa Fortalecimento Comunitário – Brasil
Talk to Loop – Zambia, Somalia, Philippines, Indonesia, Ukraine and Poland
Taller de Vida, Centro de Desarrollo Psicosocial – Colombia
Taranaki Foundation- New Zealand
TechSoup – United Kingdom
TerritoriA – Colombia
The Taala Foundation – Uganda
#TheHullWeWant – United Kingdom
Thubutu Africa Initiatives (TAI) – Tanzania
Torchlight Collective – Serbia
Trag Foundation – Serbia and the Western Balkans region
Union Temporal Construyendo Esperanza Sincelejo – Colombia
United Network of Young Peacebuilders – Global
University of New Mexico – Health Sciences Center – Office for Community Health – Community Health Worker Initiatives – United States
Utah valley University – United States
Women Volunteers for Peace – Kenya
Yemenis in Exile – Ethiopia
Youth Association for Active Citizenship and Democracy – Mali
Youth Net and Counselling – Malawi
Zamara Foundation – Kenya
Zambian Governance Foundation for Civil Society – Zambia